Blue
by Chash
Summary: Continuation of a future Naozumi arc. Features shonen ai and original characters. Complete.
1. Part One

Blue Part One

By Chash

            Nigahara Ken didn't like flying.  Every time a plane took off he held grasped onto the arm rests so that every tendon showed.  Once they were in the air he relaxed a bit, but the entire time he was tense.

            The things he did for love.  He was taking a round trip flight to Japan for it, even though the flight was long and unpleasant.  Naozumi was preoccupied and didn't seem to notice.  Ken didn't blame him.  Ken was, right about now, pretty confident he wasn't ever going to have to deal with Naozumi getting married, but he could imagine how he would feel flying to the other teen's wedding.  He wasn't going to imagine it, though, because thanks to the flight, he felt bad enough already.

            "Are you all right?" asked Naozumi.  He looked at Ken with concern filled blue eyes.  Ken's throat went dry, but he controlled his feelings enough to grin and nod.

            "Yeah… I just don't like flying."

            Naozumi smiled.  "I'm sorry.  You had to come back some time and look on the bright side—at least you aren't going back like I am."

            Ken hadn't mentioned to Naozumi that he was, in point of fact, going back to the United States.  He had decided that, screw the planes, screw his home, screw the goddamn world, he wasn't going to let go of Naozumi, even if he probably should have.  Naozumi would find out about that later.  One of these days, after the wedding, Naozumi was going to find out just how Nigahara Ken felt about him.

            First, however, Nigahara Ken was going to learn how to let go of the arm rests on the plane.  His tendons were beginning to frighten him.  

            Without looking away from the view out the window, Naozumi put a light hand on Ken's and squeezed.  Ken looked up and saw the back of a lavender head of hair.  Then Naozumi turned and smiled.  

            One of these days…

            Once he was finally off the plane in Japan, Nigahara felt a lot better.  For one thing, Naozumi had never let go of his hand, and was still holding it.  That alone was enough to put him in a good mood.  Of course, he was also off the damn plane, and that helped a lot.  As they left, someone's voice shouted for them.

            "Naozumi-ku~n!!!!"  Ken felt an abrupt coldness around his hand as Naozumi rose his arms to catch a bundle of hyperactive actress.  Cameras had been flashing the whole time, Sana's presence was rather blinding.  Behind her, he saw an expressionless young man who watched Sana as if no one else existed in the world.  That was Hayama Akito, he knew, Sana's fiancé.  He was, Ken supposed, handsome, in a stoic kind of way.  Hayama turned and looked at Ken.  At first, the teen had been dubious about Naozumi's description of how Hayama Akito's eyes had affected him.  Now something passed between them and Ken was quite sure that Hayama knew everything.  He knew how Ken felt about Naozumi, he knew what Ken was planning to do—he knew it all.  And then there was an almost imperceptible change in those eyes of his.  His mouth moved slightly.  Hayama Akito was smiling.  It would be called a twitch on the rest of the world, but Ken was confident that he was being smiled at.  It was very strange.

            Then he felt his arm being shaken rather violently and looked up.  Sana was smiling at him.

            "You're Naozumi-kun's friend, right?  Nigahara-kun?"

            "Yeah… and you're Kurata Sana-san…"

            "Right, right, no need to use san," said Sana, smiling.   "And this is Hayama!" she looked around.  "Oi, Hayama!?"

            "Yeah?" asked the young man, now standing next to her.  

            "Oh, there you are!  This is Naozumi-kun's friend, Nigahara Ken."

            "Yo," commented Hayama.

            "Nice to meet you," replied Ken.  Hayama was no longer smiling, but he no longer needed to smile.  They were done with the short interaction of eyes and the smile was no longer necessary.  It was a completed sentence, now gone.  Ken could still hear it, though.

            "Naozumi-kun asked you to come?  That's nice of you to join him.  He spends too much time alone.  You're his friend?"

            It wasn't so much what she said; it was the rate at which she said it.  Ken now realized more fully why Sana didn't have a large gaijin following.  She did some relatively harmless anime voice acting, but her characters, for the most part, spoke at such a speed that none of the gaijin voice actors could keep up.  He had thought it was part of her acting style.

            "Yeah…" he said, dazed slightly and unsure if he was really agreeing to what he thought, or if she had somehow snuck in "sell your soul for miso soup" or something while he was trying to follow her rapid speech.

            "That's good, Naozumi-kun needs lots more friends.  I'd like to spend more time with him, but we're never on projects together and I've got Hayama—isn't it strange I don't call him Akito yet?  He calls me Sana—where was I?  Oh yeah, I have Hayama and Aya-chan and Tsuyoshi-kun and Fuuka-chan and Tomo-kun and Masato-san and—" 

            "Oi," commented Hayama.

            "Huh?  What what?"

            "Let him be," commented Hayama.

            "Why?"

            "You need to give him a chance to think."

            "Okay!  Anyway, where was I?" Hayama shook his head as she went off on her tangent again.  He could see, before Hayama looked away, a brief second where his eyes weren't dead.  It was only as he looked at her.  "Does Naozumi-kun have a lot of friends?"

            "Huh?" asked Ken, realizing suddenly that he was being addressed.  "Oh… well, why are you asking me?"

            "Who else would I ask?" asked Sana, her face the perfect image of naïve confusion.  

            "Nao?" suggested Ken.

            "Hmm…" Sana considered this for a moment.  "He never tells me anything!"

            "You never tell Kurata-san anything?"

            "Sana's fine!"  
            "I tell Sana-chan lots of things."

            "Who are your friends?"

            "Ken's my friend."

            "Ah, ah," Sana nodded twice and looked at Nigahara for a moment.  Then she grinned. "Can I call you Kenni-chan?"

            Ken laughed.  "Sure you can!"

            "Yay!  Naozumi-kun and Kenni-chan!  Who are your other friends?"

            Naozumi thought for a moment.  "Bartender-san…"

            Sana smacked Naozumi over the head with the rubber Kodocha mallet she always seemed to have handy.  Ken had no idea where it came from.

            Hayama smiled slightly, the same way he had before, just at Sana.  Ken could see why Naozumi was content to loose to the other man.  

            But every once in a while, Ken could see the wish in Naozumi's eyes that she was his alone, and that behind them there was no Hayama, and possibly not even a Ken.

end part one


	2. Part Two

Blue Part Two

By Chash

Yes, I am well aware that Sana will be the most bizarre bride ever.  Keep in mind, this is Sana we're talking about.  Thanks to my ff.net reviewer, Kuroi aka CreatiStar.  'Course I remember you ^__^  Thanks for reading.  From this point on, any conversation that's in Japanese will be in very bad Japanese (let's not knowing Japanese and enjoy!).  Translations are at the end.

            Brides were supposed to be nervous.  And, Naozumi supposed, in her own unique way, Sana-chan was nervous.  

            This nervousness manifested itself as the biggest case of hyperactivity Naozumi had ever seen Sana-chan have.  Hayama-kun was being more patient and loving than Naozumi would have thought, reassuring Sana-chan with amazing calm and patience.  He supposed once they were engaged there was no reason Hayama would not act as if they were in love, but somehow… he had doubted that Hayama would.  Wishful thinking, he supposed.

            "Stop moping," whispered Ken with a smile, bopping Naozumi in the back of the head as he passed.  Naozumi scowled at him.  

            "I'm not moping."

            "She'll get mad if you're unhappy."

            "I know.  I need to get four things for her."

            "Really, what?"

            "Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.  She likes that saying."

            "She would, wouldn't she?  Will you be all right on your own?"

            "Yeah, you don't have to help out.  Go visit your family or something, I know you haven't seen them in ages."

            "Fine, Nao.  I'll be back later."

            Ken waved and wandered off and Naozumi looked at the list.  Something old…

            He hadn't been here in years.  The old Kurata house looked exactly the same.  Sana-chan and Hayama lived nearby, but not within the house, which surprised Naozumi.  He remembered, once upon a time, that Sana-chan's husband would live in the house with her mother.  However, they must have agreed to simply live somewhere else.  He didn't really care.  He was here looking for Sagami-san, who still lived here because it was his home more than anywhere else in the world.

            "Sagami-san?"

            "Ah, Kamura-kun!  _Nani?"_

            The Japanese disconcerted Naozumi, for even Sana-chan had spoken English at their last meeting.  Naozumi simply spoke in English, for at this moment Japanese took more effort to speak.

            "Do you have the burrucha?  I noticed Sana-chan doesn't wear it anymore."

            "Aa!  I do," said Sagami-san, following the English with difficulty.

            "_Gomen__ nasai, Sagami-san.__  Nihongo wa ii desu."_

            "_Kore," Sagami-san said simply, handing Naozumi the burrucha.  _

            "_Arigatou gozaimasu," replied Naozumi, bowing._

            "_Dou iteshimashite."_

            Naozumi waved and he was off.  He looked down at the burrucha in his hands.  It was old enough, he hoped.  He needed something new now, but he had no idea what he should buy.

            So he decided to find Ken and ask him.

            "Thanks for getting me out of there, Nao.  Now I remember why I don't go and visit my family more often."

            Naozumi had found Ken being grilled by his parents on the subject of his love life.  He had been on the point of leaving when Ken sent him a pleading look, willing him to help.  He had not been able to resist and therefore dragged Ken out to look for something new for Sana.

            "Shouldn't some of these already be on her wedding dress?"  asked Ken, raising his eyebrow.

            "She said those didn't count."

            "So what should we buy for her?"

            "Does she need anything for her dress?  Maybe a veil…?" Ken suggested.  Naozumi shook his head.

            "She has all that already.  Maybe some jewelry…"

            "Let's see what they have here, okay?" suggested Ken, motioning to a jewelry store.  They wandered in and looked around.  Ken snickered at something.

            "What is it?"

            "I can't believe a nice classy jewelry store has this!" he held up a pin of what looked like a yellow teddy bear with wings.

            "It's cute!  She'd like that.   Let's get it for her."

            "Most women wouldn't wear a Kero-chan pin to their wedding."

            "Sana-chan is not most women," said Naozumi firmly and purchased the pin.  "We need to borrow something."

            "Isn't that thing," Ken motioned at the burrucha, "old and borrowed?"

            "Sana-chan said nothing should be both.  So what does she need that we could borrow?"

            "A lovely hat?" inquired Ken, stretching his arms behind his head.  Naozumi shrugged.

            "It's so hard to tell with Sana-chan.  I'll probably get the wrong thing."

            "No, you won't.  She gave this to you because she trusts you.  From what I saw of her, she'll be happy as long as it's from you.  So loan her something of yours."

            Naozumi considered this.  "That's a good idea, but what?"

            "What would she like?"

            Naozumi thought.  "Does it have to be clothes?"

            "You know her better than I do."

            "I bet it would make her happy if I loaned her my trumpet to carry down the aisle… She'd blow it at the end and it would make her smile," said Naozumi, a wistful expression on his face.  Ken nodded.

            "I'm sure she'd like that.  It sounds very Sana-chan to me," said Ken gently.  Naozumi nodded.  

            "I should go pick it up at the Kamura Institute.  Would you like to come?"

            "Sure!  After all, you saw my family badger me, I feel I should see you with yours," smiled Ken.  Naozumi smiled back.

            "Of course."

            "Ah!" Something occurred to Naozumi halfway to the Kamura Institute.

            "What is it?" asked Ken, cocking his head.

            "I need something blue."

            "A lot of things are blue.  You could pick something up off the street and she'd probably enjoy it."

            "I wouldn't do that."     

            "Of course you wouldn't.  You aren't the type to abuse that kind of power.  She's going to need people like you and Hayama-san around."

            "Sana-chan can take care of herself," said Naozumi confidently.  Of course Sana could take care of herself.  She had been for as long as he'd known her.  Although… he suspected, though he hated to admit it, that Hayama might take care of her too.  "And if she can't then Hayama-kun will."

            "You sound bitter, Nao."

            "She is his to protect.  I wonder what I should get for her that's blue…"

            "How about you…?" Ken muttered under his breath.  Naozumi looked at him sharply.

            "What did you say?" he asked, although he knew.  Ken smiled brightly.

            "Nothing!"

            Naozumi blinked.  He knew that smile.  

            It was Sana-chan's smile.  

tbc.

Japanese translations:

Nani? – What? (this should be more polite, but it isn't.  Pretend they're on better terms)

Gomen nasai… nihongo wa ii desu – sorry… Japanese is fine.

Kore – here

Arigatou gozaimasu – thank you very much (and Nao is prolly more polite that he needs to be.  I guess it balances)

Dou iteshimashite (hopefully spelled right) – you're welcome


	3. Part Three

Blue Part Three

By Chash

Blatantly ignoring _The Elements of Style, I continue using Japanese when Japanese is spoken (and I ever underlined that part…).  Translations appear at the end.  Also, Kamura-san's English is supposed to be faulty.  She's pretty good, but not perfect._

"_Niichan!  __Okaeri__ nasai!"_

            Naozumi laughed as a large group of laughing children descended on them.  "_Tadaima!"_

            "_Oniisan wa dare desu ka?" a little girl asked Ken.  He blushed.  He was also forgetting his Japanese.  Great._

            "_Ken desu."_

            "_Irasshai__, Ken-niisan!"_

            "_Arigatou…" Ken replied nervously.  "Nao, I forgot Japanese…" he whispered._

            "Hard to get used to, isn't it?  Don't worry, Kamura-san speaks Japanese."

            "Good," Ken laughed.  "We haven't even been filming that long, but I don't want to get out of practice.  It's so much easier to talk in English here than to talk in Japanese over there."

            "Come on, let's go inside.  We can find the trumpet and maybe avoid seeing Kamura-san if we hurry!"

            "Avoid her?  Aww, but Nao, I wanted to see your baby pictures!"

            "No."

            "I bet you were cute!"

            "I like to think I still am," Naozumi replied airily and walked by Ken, who stuttered for a little while.  

            "_Hidoiii," he finally settled on, running to catch up.  "That was mean."_

            "Why?" Naozumi laughed at Ken's glare.

            "There was no correct answer."

            "The correct answer was that I'm cute.  Since you didn't say that, I can only assume you think I'm ugly."

            "You're mean and I'm not talking to you anymore," Ken pouted.  Really he was just as glad for an excuse to stop the conversation.  Stupid Naozumi.

            "Naozumi?"

            "Aa!  Kamura-san!" Naozumi turned and smiled at the woman.  "Hi!"

            "Hello.  Who is your friend?" her English was more heavily accented than Ken's or Naozumi's, but still understandable.

            "This is Nigahara Ken.  We were just picking up my trumpet."

            "Good.  You are at wedding, Nigahara-san?"  

            "Aa… yes.  Will you be there, Kamura-san?"

            "Yes.  Sana-san is kind enough to ask all of us," she smiled.  Ken goggled and Naozumi snickered behind his hand.  

            "All of you?"

            "Yes.  She say we are family."

            Ken was not really listening at this point.  He was seeing visions of all the kids in little tuxedos running around the wedding breathing fire.

"We're going to go find the trumpet, all right?" Naozumi waved and pulled Ken off.  "Keep in mind, Ken," Naozumi told him reassuringly, "this is a wedding which will feature the bride with a burrucha, a Kero-chan pin, and a trumpet as part of her wedding apparel."

            "I'm just seeing a lot of _chibi in tuxedos," he replied, deciding against bringing up the fire breathing for now._

            Naozumi considered this for a moment.  "That was always how I saw Sana-chan's wedding, actually."

            Ken laughed.  "You didn't add anything blue to that picture."

            "Well," he said quietly, "I didn't think I'd go with the dress very well."

            Ken sobered.  'Shit shit shit shit.'  "You did hear," he said, feeling calmer than he was.  "Aah… sorry," he rubbed the back of his neck. "I just want you to be happy, Nao."

            "It's all right.  I guess I'll figure something out."

            Ken reached out and touched Naozumi's hair softly.  "This would almost work.  Is she colour blind?"

            "Not as far as I know.  I doubt it's a very popular tradition among the colour blind."

            "You might have a point there.  Let's get the trumpet and get going."

            "All right."

            "You'll think of something, you know."

            "Will you help?"

            "Of course I'll help.  We'll think of the craziest thing we can, paint it blue, and put it on her head."

            Naozumi laughed.  "Maybe a penguin."

            "Good call."

            "Aa, Naozumi-kun, Kenni-chan!  Did you have a fun day?" asked Sana as they came in.  Ken opened his mouth to reply, but she beat him easily.  "What do you think of the dress?  Rei-kun isn't sure, he thinks it should be more modest, but I don't think it's too low cut at all and Hayama-kun's busy getting fitted so I can't ask him and Mama says that the groom shouldn't see the bride before the wedding anyway, but I saw that on _The Simpsons and I thought it was just on the wedding day because shouldn't the groom get a chance beforehand?  I mean what if he doesn't like it?  It's a bit late to change after the wedding.  Did you get the things I asked, Naozumi-kun?  Are they pretty?  I know you did a great job!  Thanks!"_

            Ken wondered if Sana needed air like conventional human beings.  Probably not.  From what he could tell, Sana was in no way a conventional human being.

            "Aa," Naozumi smiled, looking only slightly shell shocked.  "We haven't got anything blue yet, though."

            "Ooh, ooh!  What did you get that's old and new and borrowed?"

            Naozumi showed her the objects and she gave him a hug which looked as if it might kill him.  Ken wondered idly if Hayama would kill Naozumi.  He finally decided that he wouldn't.  On the one hand, Hayama Akito seemed like he would be the naturally jealous type, but it seemed to Ken that Sana would have beaten it out of him because she was Sana.  She was the type who would hug someone very suddenly and Hayama probably had to get used to it or forbid it and Kurata Sana did not seem the type to give up things like that. 

            His thoughts were stopped when Sana latched onto _him._

            "Thank you for helping out Naozumi-kun!"

            "It's okay…" Sana also did not seem to realize that humans needed air.  Naozumi snickered, although he was blushing.  Ken made a face at him.

            "You have two days to find something blue.  Thanks for helping.  I have to go change out of this and yell at people until they listen to me bye now!"

            "Now that I've met her," Ken observed, "I'm surprised she bothered to put punctuation in her letter at all."

            "She used to never use it.  Of course, that was because she wasn't very good at English."

            "Of course.  Listen," he said after a long pause, "you want to get dinner tonight?  We can think about the blue thing."

            "All right," Naozumi agreed without hesitation.  He even seemed rather excited.  Ken wondered if he'd noticed the hesitation at all.  Probably not.

            "There's no need to worry, how many times do I have to tell you?  Sana-san will like whatever you get her.  She liked the other things.  She'll like this."

            "It's the last.  It seems the most important."

            "It isn't.  It's just hard to think of.  Lots of things are blue.  The sky, the sea, the rain, tears, flowers, my pen, your eyes, that sign," Ken inclined his head to a store.  Naozumi nodded.

            "Most of those can't go on a wedding dress."

            "I guess not."

            "I'll see you tonight, then?" asked Naozumi.  Ken nodded.  "I'm going to go home."

            "All right.  I'll see you tonight."

            Ken stood still for a long while and finally resolved himself.  Before tonight he would have the perfect blue thing and Naozumi would smile again, a real smile.  He would.  One of these days.

[Edit: In my finite wisdom, I left off those translations I promised the first time around.  Here ya go.]

Niichan!  Okaeri nasai! – Big brother!  Welcome home!

Tadaima – I'm back

Oniisan wa dare desu ka? – Who is older brother? (note: I'm pretty sure oniisan is used sometimes when you don't know someone's name or occupation, but please don't kill me if it isn't)

Ken desu – I'm Ken

Ken-niisan, irasshai! – Welcome, Ken-brother! (or, according to my pocket dictionary, "Walk up, Ken-brother!)

Arigatou – thanks

Hidoii (Ken added an extra 'i' because he was holding it) – how awful! or mean! 


	4. Part Four

Blue Part Four

            At five thirty, Ken returned to the hotel room he and Naozumi were sharing.  Naozumi blinked as he came in.

            "You were out for a long time."

            "Yeah, well…" Ken looked uncomfortable.  Naozumi blinked some more as it appeared he shifted from foot to foot.  Ken had nothing to be nervous about, so Naozumi dismissed it.  He was probably just imagining things.  After a long and undeniably awkward silence, Ken pulled his hands out from behind his back and thrust something at Naozumi.  Naozumi blinked.  He seemed to be forming habits. "I wanted you to be happy, and I thought the best way for that to happen was to give you something to make her happy, so yeah…" Naozumi looked at the object in Ken's hand.  It was a fake blue flower.  

            "It's pretty… why did you choose it?"

            "It seemed Sana-san.  She would never want a fake flower, I know, but I thought she might forgive this one.  It's a blue tulip.  Do you know anything about blue tulips?"  Naozumi shook his head.  "They've never been able to breed a blue tulip," he said, twirling the stem between his fingers.  "They've gotten purples and reds and yellows and oranges, but there's no such thing as a real blue tulip.  They don't exist."

            Naozumi looked at it.  "Sana-chan…"

            "Sana-san seems as if she'll enjoy having something that doesn't exist in her hair.  It just seems like the type of person she is," Ken looked away and blushed slightly.  "You don't have to use it if you don't want to.  You were just so worried, though, and I wanted to help.  I thought it might amuse Sana-san."

            Naozumi took the rose out of Ken's hand.  "I think she'll like it.  Thank you," he said, and then for some reason he could not quite explain he kissed Ken on the cheek.  Ken flushed.

            "So are you in a better mood?"

            "Yes.  Want to get dinner?"

            "Yeah, let's go."

            "Tell me the truth," Ken said over their ramen.  Naozumi raised his eyebrows.

            "About something specific or about everything?"

            "Are you going to be okay through this wedding?"

            "Yes."

            "Honestly?"

            "Honestly."

            "They're looking at us funny."   

            "We're speaking English."

            "Well," Ken smiled, "at least you have an excuse.  You look like a half.  I'm just a disgrace to my people."

            "You used to live there.  Excuse for you too."

            "Yes, mine's better, too. You're just very smart, I suppose.  Our accomplished Nao."

            "I am a genius."

            "Sure you are.  So you aren't going to die day after tomorrow in the middle of the vows?  It probably wouldn't go over too well."

            "I will not die.  I will live through the wedding and go to America and live there until I get my head sorted out."

            Ken swallowed.  "I wish you wouldn't."

            "I know.  Like I said before, I will miss you," he assured Ken.  And it was true; he was going to miss the other boy.  "But I can't stay here.  There's too much here."

            "I heard that was a reason to stay in a place.  History and all that."

            "Too much history."

            "Yeah.  You're really going to go, aren't you?" asked Ken.  His voice was odd, as if he were fearing not Naozumi's leaving, but something else.  

            "Yes.  What's wrong?"

            A Sana smile—the one that pretended to be happy but wasn't—graced his face.  "I'll miss you."

            And Naozumi knew from that smile and his tone, that it was a lie.

            Back in the hotel room, lying on his bed while Ken slept in the other, Naozumi thought.  He could not figure it out.  He was, at times, as oblivious as Sana.  Certainly he was in matters of love, as he had known quite well at least ten girls who had come out with confessions that, according to Ken, had been completely and utterly obvious to everyone but him.  However, he liked to think that he could hear tones.  He knew Ken's tones, knew them well enough to admit the ones that were always the same but that he could not really identify.  He knew that Ken's smile had meant the same thing Sana's always did—fake happiness.  Ken had been sad.  

            But he was lying.  He was not going to miss Naozumi.  He had said it and he had lied.  That hurt Naozumi.  He loved Ken, he was his best friend.  He saw him more than he saw Sana.  He was truly going to miss Ken.  And Ken wasn't going to miss him.

            Naozumi sighed.  Ken had been the one thing that was keeping him going, the one thing that let him live through this wedding.  He needed his friend to be there, to keep him sane and give him hugs when he needed help.  Had the neediness made Ken pull away, or the hugs and kisses he sometimes wanted?  What had made Ken no longer care that the two of them would be separated?

            He turned in the bed and clutched the pillow, feeling the unrelenting mattress against his head.  Just once, he wanted to know what it was like to be able to hold a real person while he went to sleep.  He wouldn't ever, though, because he could not ask Sana and now couldn't even ask Ken. 

            Ken lay in bed, pretending to sleep.  Something was wrong with Naozumi, something had made him unhappy.  Probably Sana, Ken reflected.  He sighed quietly.  Naozumi really was going to go.  Ken had been afraid of that.  He had hoped Naozumi would change his mind.

            He'd follow the other boy anywhere, but he really did hate planes.

tbc


	5. Part Five

Blue Part Five

By Chash

Stupid school.  I really should have finished this before it started.  Thanks to my two faithful reviewers, glad you guys are enjoying this.  I hope it might one day end.  It's a distant dream, though.  As usual, Japanese is translated at the end.  I am aware Nao and Ken are super-good at English, but I think I explained that.  Really, it's just so that I can be lazier ^_~  And Oita-ken is hot as hell.  I spent a summer month there and it's nasty heat.

            "Man, Nao, you look like you didn't sleep a wink.  You okay?" Ken asked, concerned.  Naozumi looked surprised, but nodded.

            "Yes, I'm fine."

            Ken didn't quite believe it, but was willing to let it go.  After all, Sana was getting married soon.  If Naozumi had been marrying someone, even Sana, Ken doubted he himself would be in a better state at the prospect of his loss.  Not, of course, that he had anything to loose.  It was still a loss, though.

            "All right," he said after a long wait.  "I wish you'd talk to me, Nao."

            Naozumi looked as if he might say something, but stopped.  Ken couldn't identify the origin of the pained look on his face.  Naozumi swallowed and might have spoken, but Sana (as usual) beat him to it.

            "O-HA-YO-U!" Sana bounded up.  Naozumi smiled at her, but the dark patches under his eyes detracted from the image somewhat.  Sana blinked.  "Naozumi-kun?  _Daijoubu?"_

            "_Hai!"_

            "_Eto… you're speaking Japanese, so you can't be all right!  You haven't spoken Japanese since you got here."_

            "It's really nothing.  I just had trouble sleeping."

            Sana looked alarmed.  "Are you sick?" she asked, putting her hand to his forehead.  "Do you need pills medicine towels bath shower doctor lawyer car plane train—"

            "No," Naozumi broke her thoughts.  "I just couldn't sleep.  It was too hot in the room."

            Ken, deciding even if Naozumi was lying, he could use some help, so he backed the other boy up.  "It was really hot.  I'm from Oita-ken, though, so I'm used to it."

            "Ah, _sou__ ka, sou ka.  Okay, I have to go plan.  Lots to do, lots to do!  You two have your outfits, __ne?"_

            "Yes, Sana-chan."

            "Ah.  _Jaaaaaaaa__!" And she ran off.  Ken blinked.  It was, probably, the most common response to Sana._

            "What do you want to do today other than sleep?" asked Ken at last.  Naozumi considered this. 

            "Sleep more?"

            "Come on, Nao.  You have two more days in Japan, today and tomorrow.  Tomorrow's the wedding.  Anything you want to do in Japan for a while you need to do today."

            "Well…" Naozumi thought for a long time.  "I'd like to be with you.  Where would you like to go?"

            Ken thought for a long time.  "Ueno Park.  I want to go to Ueno Park and see the sakura trees.  I haven't been in Tokyo for a while and I don't imagine I'll be coming back for a while."

            "All right," Naozumi agreed.  "Let's go to Ueno Park."

            "Most people come here in the springtime, you know," Naozumi pointed out.  Ken nodded.

            "It's fall though, so I figured I might as well.  Sakura trees are pretty shedding their leaves too.  So I guess there's no disadvantage, right Nao?  It's still pretty, isn't it?"

            "It is," Naozumi responded, though it sounded as if his brain was somewhere else entirely.  Probably the wedding, Ken reasoned.

            "I always wanted to come here.  My sister would talk about Ueno Park a lot."

            "You have a sister?"

            "Yes, an older sister.  She was at college when I met you."

            "That explains why I never saw here.  You've never mentioned her, though."

            "It never came up.  What about this disturbs you so much?"

            "Just… I don't know anything about your family.  We've been friends for a while and I never bothered to ask…"

            "You know my parents."

            "Yes, but only to the extent of, '_hai, Nigahara-san, I'll take care of your only son.'  I don't even know what your parents do for a living."_

            "My father's an engineer.  My mother stays at home.  She does the housework and all that.  I have an older sister, Meiko, and a younger brother, Takahashi.  Meiko is a senior at college, Takahashi is a second year in high school.  He likes video games and is a demon at Dance Dance Revolution.  She likes shoujo manga and doramas.  Is that good?"

            "Thanks, Ken," Naozumi said.  Ken blinked.  It looked like the other boy was about to cry.

            "Okay, Nao, I've been patient enough, so explain.  What's wrong?  You said you were fine with the wedding."

            "I am.  It's just…" Naozumi shook his head.  "I didn't sleep much last night.  I was restless.  So I'm not at my best."

            Ken sighed.  "I wish you would trust me.  I know you pretty well, Naozumi.  I know when you're lying.  And I know that there's something more wrong with you.  Believe me; I would feel the same way if the person I loved was getting married.  I want to help you deal with this.  Please just talk to me."

            Naozumi looked away.  "It's nothing, really," he assured Ken.  His voice was wet with tears.

            "Dammit, Nao…"

            "Let's just look at the sakura trees, okay?" Naozumi suggested, his voice forced into cheerfulness.  "That's why we came."

            "We're too similar, you know that?" Ken asked, stopping Naozumi's course towards the path.  "You and me and Sana-san, we'll all smile through anything.  Hayama-san is different, though.  You must have noticed.  Sana-san will smile and say she's fine, she'll say it as she's crying.  You're like that too.  I'm far too stubborn and silly about crying to let anyone see me when I'm crying, but I won't admit it to anyone.  Nao, I understand.  And I'm sorry.  I just want to help you.  But I understand.  I understand that you're stubborn and don't want help.  But I am your friend.  Sorry if you're mad," Ken turned to the subway.  "I guess I'll see you at the rehearsal dinner.  And don't tell me there's nothing to be sorry for, because you know as well as I do that there's something you won't tell me.  And if there's something I've done to make you not trust me, then it's something to be sorry about," Ken leaned down and kissed Naozumi's forehead before walking off to the subway and leaving Naozumi alone in the trees.

            He was surprised, as he walked away, to feel tears stinging his eyes. 

tbc.


	6. Part Six

Blue Part Six

Woo!  We're writing again.  And, as I again forgot the Japanese translations at the end, here we have the backlogs.  Which I hope I will not forget.  Damn my feeble brain.  Also, in the last part, Naozumi says "Hai, Nigahara-san, I'll take care of your only son" and in the next line Ken says that he has a brother. So chalk that one up to Naozumi not knowing about Ken's family.

Ken: Instead of chalking it up to your stupidity like we should?

…On with part six.

            "Oi, you all right?"  Naozumi turned.  He had been sitting in the hotel restaurant poking at his meal with his chopsticks until the voice distracted him.

            "Hayama-kun?"

            Hayama Akito sat down next to him and ordered some sushi.

            "What's wrong with you?  She won't be happy if you're sad tomorrow."

            "Is that your way of being concerned?"

            He shrugged.  "I love her, so I want her to be happy.  If that involves you being happy, that's okay.  So what's wrong?"

            "I'm moving to America."

            "That'll make her unhappy."

            "Seeing her makes me unhappy."

            He nodded.  "Why move?"

            "I like it there."

            "So why are you unhappy?"

            Naozumi had to smile.  Only Hayama had the ability to be at once trying to cheer someone up but also give off a complete and total air of uncaring.  

            "Ken won't miss me."

            "So?"

            "He's my friend.  I don't understand why he won't miss me."

            "Ask him."

            'Well, he never really told me he wouldn't miss me, so it would be impolite to assume."

            "So why do you think he wouldn't miss you?" asked Hayama, nodding thanks as his sushi came.

            "I could tell from the way he said he'd miss me.  He was lying."

            "So ask him why."

            "But he said he would miss me.  He'd just tell me he would miss me."

            Hayama shrugged again.  "Then don't.  Just be happy tomorrow."

            Naozumi nodded.  "Thanks, Hayama-kun."

            "Whatever."

            "You," Hayama addressed Ken when he finally found the other boy.  Ken blinked.

            "What is it?"

            "Sana will be unhappy," he said.  Ken blinked several more times.

            "What?"

            "For some reason she likes Kamura.  As long as Kamura's unhappy, she'll be unhappy.  You're making Kamura unhappy.  Stop."

            "What?"

            Hayama said nothing.  Ken considered his words.

            "How am I making Nao unhappy?"

            "He says he's going to America and you won't miss him."

            "I said I would."

            "He says you're lying.  You are."

            Ken sighed.  "I'm going after him."

            "It is because you don't hate him."

            "I l—"  Ken started, but Hayama smirked.

            "I know.  Tell him that."

            "I want it to be a surprise."

            "Lie better."

            Ken walked back to the room, thinking about what Hayama had told him.  He opened up the door to see Naozumi just sitting on the bed staring at the wall.  Ken crossed the room and lay down on his own bed for a long time, staring at the ceiling.

            "You okay?" he asked finally.  

            "Yeah, sorry I'm so down," Naozumi said, smiling.  

            "Tell me why?"

            "Just the wedding, I guess.  You know."

            "Sure, Nao.  You'll be fine tomorrow."

            "I know I will.  Because I'm always fine."

            "Yeah.  Because you're always fine."

            They dressed the next morning in silence, pulling on jackets and ties.  It was to be a western style wedding, something that did not surprise Naozumi in the slightest.  He sighed.

            "I've been afraid of this since I first met Hayama-kun," he said.  Ken looked over at him, but said nothing, waiting for him to continue instead.  "I knew he loved her and I knew she loved him and I could tell that they were going to get married and live happily ever after.  It's obvious looking at them.  And I always knew this day would come and there I'd be, all alone while they're going off to be happy."

            Ken smiled.  It didn't reach past the edges of his lips.  "You're not all alone, Nao.  Saying stuff like that makes me feel unimportant."

            "Sorry.  I didn't mean to.  Do me a favor and tell me you'll miss me again."

            "I'll miss you, Nao."

            And for some reason, Naozumi believed him this time.  Ken smiled.  "We should get going soon.  We don't want to be late."

            "No, we don't."

            And before he could think about it, he took Ken's hand and they walked out toward the church.

            "I think you're more nervous than the bride," Ken teased.

            "She just doesn't show it."

            "GAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" The wedding party sweatdropped as Sana's voice echoed the church.

            "Of course she doesn't," Ken agreed with a smirk.  Kamura-san, sitting next to them, smiled.

            "It is good seeing girl from Kamura Institution get married.  What about you, Naozumi?"

            "Not yet…" Naozumi said uncomfortably.  Ken smiled.

            "Nao still has to find the right girl."

            "Ahh," Kamura-san replied and then returned to the rebellious children.  Ken smiled.

            "It'll be over soon, Nao," he whispered, hoping Kamura-san wouldn't hear.  Naozumi nodded.  

            "I know it will.  Don't worry about me."

            "You're very easy to worry about.  It's the cute face," Ken explained, nodding his head wisely.  Naozumi almost laughed.  

            "Right, Ken."

            "Cheer up.  Sana-san already has something blue at her wedding."

            It was a beautiful ceremony.  Naozumi was amazed at how calm and normal it had been, even with the bride wearing a burrucha (which went off during the vows) and a Kero-chan pin (which one of the children from the Kamura Institute tried to steal) and a trumpet (which she blew twice after the kiss) and a blue tulip in her hair (which she loved and was even normal).  Hayama was dignified and Sana was happy and it was beautiful.  Naozumi had toasted them.

            "I've known Sana-chan for a long time now," he had said, smiling.  "I know her well enough that it used to make Hayama-kun jealous, but I think he's gotten over that.  I don't think I ever got to know Hayama-kun very well, but you don't have to know him very well to know that he loves Sana-chan.  I've known since we were twelve that this day was going to come and I don't think it could come soon enough for them.  And I know they'll be happy together for a long time," he even smiled as he raised his glass.  "To the bride and groom."

            And everyone toasted, even the twenty little children from the Kamura Institute.  They had apple juice.  Naozumi blinked.  Sana was with them, also toasting with apple juice.  She had strapped her shoes to her knees and knelt on them, trying to look shorter.  She looked so happy.

            Naozumi smiled as he drank, willing back the tears.  This was Sana's wedding and she didn't need another blue thing, like Ken had said.  So he smiled and danced and had fun and at the end of the night got ready for his flight home.  Sana and Hayama had already left on the honeymoon.  He would tell her later about moving, once he was far away.  He would not affect her joy today for the world.

            "You're leaving then?" asked Ken.  Naozumi saw him leaning against the wall, something unreadable in his eyes.

            "Yeah, first thing tomorrow morning."

            "Good luck, I guess."

            "Thanks, Ken," he walked over and hugged the other boy.  "You're going home, right?"

            Ken didn't say anything for a little while.  "Yes," he said at last.  "I'm going home."

            "I'll miss you."

            "I'll miss you too.  Goodbye, Nao."

            "Goodbye, Ken."

            On the plane the next day, Naozumi finally let himself cry.

Owari.

(one story to go!  Thanks for reading "Blue," everyone!)

Japanese Phrases from Blue Part Five

Ohayou – good morning.  Sana does it by syllables.

Daijoubu? – are you all right?

Hai – yes

Eto – umm…

Sou ka, sou ka – I see, I see

Ja – Bye! (Sana holds it for a while)

Doramas are Japanese soap operas. 


End file.
